# Incident 20071212831019I: Piper PA28235, Chicago/Aurora, IL, December 12, 2007

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 12, 2007, 12:42 local time
- Place: Chicago/Aurora, IL
- Airport: Aurora Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.7719° N, 88.4757° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at AURORA MUNI (ARR), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7719&lon=-88.4757&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3979X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3979X-2018-03-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-235 (registry code 7102810, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-235) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28235
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,400 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071212831019I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MOVED BY HAND THE PROPELLER OF PIPER PA-28-235, N3979X, AT AURORA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, AURORA, ILLINOIS, AT 1242 CST, DECEMBER 12, 2007 TO DETERMINE WHY THE STARTER WAS NOT ENGAGING. NOBODY WAS ABOARD THE AIRPLANE WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED AS A RESULT OF HIM MOVING THE PROPELLER. THE PILOT HAD THE ENGINE CONTROL SETTINGS IN POSITION TO ALLOW THE ENGINE TO START AND OPERATE. HE THOUGHT HE HAD TURNED THE MAGNETO SWITCH TO "OFF." IT WAS NOT FULLY OFF. THE AIRPLANE MOVED UNDER POWER ACROSS THE RAMP AND INTO A DITCH. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THERE WAS NO OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY. THE PILOT WAS NOT INTENDING FLIGHT. HE INTENDED TO WARM THE ENGINE AND TAXI FOR FUEL SERVICE.

## Other reports on N3979X (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20151024018599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151024018599A), Oct 24, 2015: Piper PA-28-235 (N3979X), Winneconne, WI, Destroyed. The pilot reported that aircraft emitted smoke from under the engine cowl on final approach and the engine quit running upon touchdown on runway. After landing…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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